During operation of an integrated circuit (IC), an IC chip generates heat, thus heating the entire electronics package that contains the chip. Because the performance of the IC chip degrades as its temperature increases, and because high thermal stresses degrade the structural integrity of the electronics package, this heat must be dissipated. Many electronic packages use a metal lid which is non-permeable to air for this required heat dissipation. The heat from the chip is transferred to the metal lid via a thermally conductive chip/lid interface. The heat is then transferred from the lid to the ambient atmosphere via convection. Increasing the heat dissipating ability of the metal lid is an ongoing design concern in electronic packaging design.